African-American News&Issues

BLACK HISTORY If you 24/7/365 reject

Vol. 18 Issue 3

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February 11-17, 2013 | FREE

Educating Children is a Team Effort

your past, you can’t accept the present.

(1st row) – Raymond Glass II (Principal, Harper Alternative), Michael A. Cardona (Chief Middle School Officer), Rhonda Johnson (HISD School Improvement Officer), Terry B. Grier (HISD Superintendent of Schools), LaShonda Bilbo-Ervin (Principal, Booker T. Washington High School), Rhonda Skillern-Jones (HISD Board of Education Trustee) and Erica Hilliard (HISD Media Relations) (2nd row) – Orlando P. Riddick (Chief High School Officer), Samuel Sarabia (Chief Elementary School Officer), Corey Seymour (Principal, M.C. Williams Middle School), Roy Douglas Malonson, Willie T. Burroughs (Director HISD Special Projects), Kenneth Huewitt (HISD Chief Financial Officer) Photo Credit: Rebecca S. Jones and Joel Falcon Jr. (HISD General Manager of Facility Services)

See QUALITY EDUCATION on p. 11

We Africans in America have been socially engineered to reject our past, and far too many of us live in a state of suspended animation.

We deny the historical realities confronting us daily. Too many of us mistakenly believe that the past has no bearing on the present and is unrelated to the future. Thus, we have been conditioned to live our lives disconnected from cultural values, principles, and ideals essential for peaceful living.

~Anthony T. Browder, Survival Strategies for Africans in America~

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African American News&Issues

Texas • February 11-17, 2013

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Rep. Ron Reynolds Named “House Democratic Whip”

Politics

The Check is Not in the Mail Social Security payments will soon go paperless

Like it or not, many seniors have a few more jobs to do when it comes to Social Security — including signing up for direct deposit or hitting the computer. The Obama administration recently announced that all payments from the government will now be made to consumers electronically. Americans receiving payments for Social Security, unemployment insurance, veterans benefits, railroad retirement, and government benefits will now find the money automatically deposited into their personal bank accounts. Americans without bank accounts can get paid using the Treasury Department’s Direct Express Debit MasterCard program. Roughly 5 million people nationwide continue to receive paper checks. This will go into effect by March 1st.

Why the shift to direct deposits? Two reasons: one, it will be easier and faster for consumers to get paid and, two, it will save taxpayers money – an estimated $303 million over the first five years and about $120 million each year after that. For instance, despite repeated attempts to get recipients to convert to electronic payments, the Treasury Department still mails out more than 136 million benefit checks each year. Now, as part of President Obama’s effort to eliminate waste and modernize government for taxpayers, that will change with Monday’s announcement of a complete shift to direct deposits. “[The] announcement is a win-win for the American public because it makes government more convenient and cost-effective while generating significant savings for the country,” said Office of Management & Budget director Peter Orszag. “This is precisely the type of smart, streamlined improvement that this administration is committed to making across government to boost efficiency and modernize how we do business.”

While savings of a few hundred million dollars a year might sound impressive, though, remember that just last month the government ran up $135 billion in red ink. The administration will make the direct deposit announcement on Monday when Treasury publishes a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register to begin a 60-day period of public comment. Once the final rule is published, the administration will roll out the changes with a public education campaign. States with the highest numbers of paper checks include California, New York, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina. There may be a little wiggle room, but Social Security would like people to willingly give up those paper checks.

The new rule will primarily take effect in March 2011, with a few exceptions that will not take effect until March 2013. To some extent, the shift to direct deposits began years ago. 85 percent of federal benefit recipients already receive their payments electronically.

One million Americans are now using the Direct Express payment system, launched in the summer of 2008.

AUSTIN-State Representative Ron Reynolds (Fort Bend County-D, District 27) was named as the House Democratic Whip. The Whip is the second highest ranking position in the Democratic Caucus. The Democratic Whip assists the Democratic leadership in managing the party’s legislative program on the House floor.

The Whip keeps track of all legislation and ensures that all party members are present when important measures are to be voted upon.

“I am very humbled and excited that I have been selected to serve in this important leadership position this session. I look forward to working closely with House Rep. Ron Reynolds Democratic Leader Yvonne Davis and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to pass legislation that benefits all Texas families”, remarked Reynolds. Rep. Reynolds is serving in his second session. Last session he was voted by his House colleagues as “Freshman Legislator of the Year” and “Public Servant of the Year” by the Houston Minority Contractors Association. He currently serves on the Environmental Regulation and Technology committees.

Ron Reynolds is State Representative for District 27 of Fort Bend County, the first African-American State Representative in Fort Bend County since Reconstruction. He is a name partner in Brown, Brown & Reynolds, P.C. and is a former Associate Municipal Judge for The City of Houston. Additionally, he is a former Associate Municipal Judge for The City of Houston and TSU Adjunct Professor (College of Public Affairs).

Rep. Reynolds district office is located at 2440 Texas Pkwy., Suite 102, Missouri City, Texas 77489. For more information, please visit www.ronaldreynolds.org.

Rosa Parks Honored with Forever Stamp The U.S. Postal Service 2013 Rosa Parks (Forever®) stamp honors the life of this extraordinary American activist who became an iconic figure in the civil rights movement. In 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks courageously refused to give up her seat on a municipal bus to a white man, defying the discriminatory laws of the time. The stamp art, a gouache painting on illustration board, is a portrait of Parks emphasizing her quiet strength. A 1950s photograph served as the basis for the stamp portrait. The response to Parks’s arrest was a boycott of the Montgomery bus system that lasted for more than a year and became an international cause célèbre. The many honors Parks received in her lifetime include the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1996), the Spingarn Medal (1979), and the Congressional Gold Medal (1999). Upon her death in 2005, she became the first woman and second African American to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC. Artist Thomas Blackshear II created an original painting for the stamp, which was designed by art director Derry Noyes.

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Edit rial & Opini n

“Our paper will keep dealing with Injustice until it is Balanced.”

- Mr. Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher, African-American News&Issues

Steve King candidacy in Iowa: A blessing in disguise for Obama? Our Children Need A Quality Education Congressman Steve King (R-IA) is leading Republican hopefuls in the latest polls for next year’s Iowa Senate race to replace the retiring Democrat Tom Harkin (D-IA).

Moderate Republicans are worried about the race, and even Karl Rove is warning Republicans that King would lose badly in a general election.

What was likely going to be a competitive race to replace Harkin, now seems like an new opportunity for Democrats Congressman to not only Steve King hold on to a Senate seat, but also frame the debate and peg Republicans as extremist and outside of the mainstream.

Steve King is the poster boy for over the top, racially tinged rhetoric in his attacks on President Barack Obama.

Not only has King compared the president to Saddam Hussein, and called the president “very, very urban,” on the House floor, he has also said, “The president has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race on the side that favors the Black person,” in comments responding to the Skip Gates arrest controversy.

King was also a birther, long after it was cool to be a birther. King was so down with the birthers, he actually went down to the Library of Congress to “inspect” the microfiche to make sure that the two newspaper articles announcing the president’s birth in 1961, weren’t fakes.

King said of the birth announcements,”It would have been awfully hard to fraudulently file the birth notice of Barack Obama being born in Hawaii and get that into our public libraries and that microfiche they keep of all the newspapers published.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t some other explanations on how they

Zerlina Maxwell Writer, EBONY magazine might’ve announced that by telegram from Kenya. The list goes on.”

Unfortunately for Republicans, the list of Steve King’s racially insensitive and outrageous comments goes on as well. King has compared immigrants to dogs, he said the president’s response to Benghazi was “worse than Watergate,” and he said that Democrats would win Hispanic voters by giving them a “big fat check.”

Just as Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock expressed vocally the Republican platform that is as antichoice as any in a generation, with personhood language banning all abortion, King’s rhetoric and nomination next year will likely turn off large swaths of voters in the 2014 midterm elections.

King even defended Akin’s ridiculous “legitimate rape” comments initially, before he was forced to backtrack.

Steve King could be the new Todd Akin. In 2012, the “war on women” propelled Democrats to victory, by creating a sharp contrast between Democrats’ policies towards women and their bodies, and Republicans’ views. That contrast left Democrats with a historic advantage with women, and with King on record as favoring a ban on all abortions, just like Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, along with King expressing skepticism towards the idea of contraception, that trend will likely continue.

And just as Akin and Mourdock turned off women to Republicans in 2012, racially charged rhetoric targeting the president that Steve King is famous for, turned off large swaths of minority voters last fall as well. King introduced a bill last year to make English the

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alcolm X once stated that, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

As I reflect back over the address delivered by HISD’s Superintendent, Dr. Terry Grier at the Acres Homes Chamber for Business and Economic Development on February 7, one thing that everyone agreed on is that children need a quality education. In order to compliment children with such, it is highly important to make sure that there are quality teachers first. Quality teachers produce quality students.

I have listened to parents complain about the public school system and the dissatisfaction thereof. But as spoken

by Dr. Grier, we must all realize that educating a child is a team effort.

As it is, times have changed now and there appears to be some people who have lost sight of what is really important to our children and the future of our communities. But at AfricanAmerican News & Issues it is a central objective of ours to report and distribute current and historical realities affecting our communities.

Educators when I was coming up had just as much affect and authority over children as parents did. If you got in trouble at school, it was the teachers who corrected the problem with corporal punishment. And no Children Protective Services were ever called on the teachers or administrators and definitely not our parents. In fact if you got in trouble at school you begged and pleaded with the teachers not to inform your parents of the trouble or problems you had. Because anyone raised in the era that I was raised in knew that if you were out of your parents presence ‘acting a fool’ then that constituted a ‘good ole fashion’ behind whipping when you returned home. Not only did our parents

instill the fear of God in us, they instilled the fear of them in us as well. As a result, we were better off then and many of us are better off today because of it.

I must address another concern that affects the youth of our community in regards to education. For, I am not oblivious to the fact that there are some educators who already have preconceived notions about how they view the students that they are responsible for educating.

When this occurs, there is generally no way that a teacher or instructor can effectively educate a student if they already feel that, that student is a loss cause to begin with.

(l) Dr. Terry B. Grier, (r) Mr. Roy Douglas Malonson We must understand, that the same mental deficiencies and disciplinarian problems that exist today were prevalent when I was in school. Now I don’t won’t to get carried away too much, back then we didn’t bring guns and rifles to school at an attempt to kill the principals, teachers and our classmates.

But we did face many issues. However, one thing that made the difference was that, teachers were patient and had a genuine overall concern for the betterment of their students.

Another relevant topic that was mentioned at the Business Networking Luncheon is the fact that there is a need to ensure that students have the oppor-

We MUST Understand

By Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher

tunity to interact with teachers who look like them; or who can relate and identify with some of the issues that they are facing and dealing with. Encouragement and motivation may be received better from individuals who can share with students that they came from environments similar students and were able to make it and become successful.

Dr. Grier informed those in attendance that the new building of Booker T. Washington is already underway.

Although we all agree that it is a much needed project we should be mindful of the fact that a new building has never taught nor educated anyone. Everybody wants to enjoy something new and there is nothing wrong with that. We should want to build and construct a facility that will be comfortable for our children to enjoy while they learn. But at the end of the day, the building is just a building.

It is the individuals who are employed within a building that uphold the obligation of educating the total child.

Concluding, I would have to agree with Roy Wilkins who conveyed that, “Nothing should be overlooked in fighting for better education. Be persistent and ornery: this will be good for the lethargic educational establishment and will aid the whole cause of public education.” Therefore, if as many parents, teachers, administrators, neighbors and otherwise were to adhere to this philosophy we are all contributing our part to ensuring that our children are receiving a quality education.

nation’s official language and has also said that multicultural groups are “people that feel sorry for themselves.”

It was no accident that Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans voted along with African-Americans, overwhelmingly in favor of President Obama’s re-election. People of color viewed the Republican party as uninviting after extreme elements within the party, like the “birthers,” rose to prominence and essentially forced the president to “show his papers.”

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Texas • February 11-17, 2013

Texas • February 11-17, 2013

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Business Profile:

Rodrick Dow, Certified Public Accountant

HOUSTON- AfricanAmerican News & Issues presents Rodrick Dow, CPA for the Business Profile of the Week.

Dow is a native Houstonian. He is a graduate of Waltrip Senior High School.

He attended school at Texas A&M University-Kingsville where he received a Bachelor Roderick Dow CPA of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Accounting. He furthered his education at Texas Southern University where he received a Masters in Business Administration graduating number one in his class.

Rodrick is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas and was a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Black Accountants.

He is the owner of Rodrick Dow, PC, a 100% Black-owned business in the Heights. The offices of Rodrick Dow, PC came to existence in January 1994, after years of working in Corporate America for several multi-billion dollar energy companies. Roderick is a licensed Financial Advisor who concentrates on individuals who are retiring, changing jobs, laid off or their company merged with another company, retirement rollovers, as well as many types of investments.

Dow opened his present office located at 824 West 27th Street in September of 2000. Rodrick Dow can also professionally prepare your federal income tax return.

For more information, call 713-862-4332.

U.S. Post Office to end Saturday Delivery

Mail delivery on Saturdays will be halted beginning in August. The struggling U.S. agency loses $25 million a day. Last November, the agency reported it lost $15.9 billion for the fiscal year that ended Sept.

20, more than triple its loss from the previous year. The U.S. Post Office has also reached its $15 billion borrowing limit with the Treasury. The Postal Service will continue to deliver packages six days a week, and post offices would still be open on Saturdays.

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Community

DPS Announces Driver License Mega Center Office in Ft. Worth

FT. WORTH– The city of Ft. Worth recently opened a DPS Driver License Mega Center. The office, which will increase driver license capacity in the Metroplex area. The 82nd Legislature provided $63 million in funding to DPS to open six mega centers, hire 266 additional employees, and purchase equipment and technology to improve customer service and the efficiency of the state’s driver license system. DPS opened the first mega center in Pflugerville in October of 2012. Last month, DPS opened two additional offices in the Houston area – one in Spring and one in Rosenberg – and one in Garland near Dallas. Earlier this month, DPS opened the San Antonio-Leon Valley Mega Center.

“I’m proud to welcome the Department of Public Safety’s Mega Center to Fort Worth,” said State Sen. Wendy Davis. “The Driver’s License Mega Center will be a major asset to our community. In addition to the many jobs it will provide for our local economy, the center is an important step toward meeting the huge demand for driver’s license services for Tarrant County residents.” The Fort Worth area was in need of this new DPS Mega Center that can help accommodate our rapidly growing population,” said State Rep. Nicole Collier. “The increased number of Tarrant County residents served by the new facility of this size and magnitude will alleviate pressure throughout the area as drivers can more easily walk in and out with the help of full time staff and new technology.”

The Fort Worth Mega Center has 24,000 square feet with 22 customer service stations, and will be staffed by 44 full-time employees with the capacity to process more than 700 transactions daily.

The Fort Worth Driver License Mega Center is located at 8301 Brentwood Stair Road, Fort Worth, TX 76120. The office will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Texas • February 11-17, 2013

Casket of Souls Without Justice Join Protest Against Police Brutality

HOUSTON– A boisterous protest against Police Brutality marked the two year anniversary of The Black Justice Tuesday Coalition’s (BJTC) efforts to bring an Independent Civilian Review Board with subpoena power, prosecutorial power and proper funding to the 4th largest city in America.

“The police can’t police the police” said Krystal Muhammad, Chairperson of the New Black Panther Party.

Bystanders readily agreed then signed the petition for a civilian review board, and joined the protest.

The crowd grew larger and larger as pallbearer’s dressed in Black marched a casket down Franklin street placing it squarely in front of the Harris County Court House. Protesters circled the casket, when it was opened pictures of people that had been killed by Houston Police where respectfully placed inside.

Pictures included: Camp Logan Soldiers (1917), Carl Hampton (1970), Jose Campos Torres (1977), Ida Lee Delaney (1989), Pedro Oregon (1998), John T. Barnes (2009), Brian Claunch (2012). Organizers have consistently made the case that police brutality is about a system not an specific case. The pictures illustrated this point.

The BJTC has protested, petitioned and done political education every Tuesday at 12noon in front of the court house or Houston city hall for two years straight and has no plans to stop.

African-American Family History Workshop HOUSTON- Houston, Tx.—The Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc.- Willie Lee Gay H-Town Chapter, will present a family history workshop on Saturday, February, 23, 2013, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Aunt Bea’s Restaurant located at 5422 North Freeway (I-45 North at Tidwell).

The family research workshop is an informative multi-media presentation Download a that addresses challenges of African-American genealogical research and QR Reader and scan available resources for beginning and intermediate researchers. Attendees our code below to are encouraged to bring their laptops. The Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc. - Willie Lee Gay H-Town Chapter, is a member visit our website! of AAHGS, the Washington, D.C. premier institution for African ancestry, family history and genealogy in the United States. The H-Town Chapter’s primary task is to nurture the interest and collaboration of genealogical and family history research, with emphasis on, though not limited to people of African descent. The chapter further seeks to preserve the local history and cultural heritage of people of African descent in the State of Texas.

The cost of the workshop is $25.00 and includes a meal and session handout.

There will be no registration at the door. Register online at: http://htown.aahgs. org/ Deadline to register is Wednesday, February 20th.

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HBCU Corner Tour for Diversity in Medicine

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HOUSTON/ PRAIRIE VIEW– Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University will host the Tour for Diversity in Medicine on Friday, February 15th and Saturday, February 16th. The Tour will bring medical professionals from across the country to participate in a national initiative that works to improve the quality of patient care by diversifying the healthcare profession.

The tour will also feature interactive workshops with students interested in pursuing a career in medicine. According to the Tour for Diversity in Medicine, research indicates that patients receiving care from physicians of the same race rate medical visits as more satisfying and report being more engaged in their treatment. During the Tour, 6 doctors will visit 6 schools in 6 days, offering a full day of premedical enrichment activities to undergraduate students. Research reveals that patients receiving care from physicians of the same race rate medical visits as more satisfying and report being more engaged in their treatment. While African-Americans, Hispanics and Native American’s represents more than half of the Texas population, minorities only make up about 1 in 3 of practicing physicians.

The Tour for Diversity in Medicine is made possible with support from the Aetna Foundation, U.S. Army, Association of American Medical Colleges, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and American Dental Education Association.

For more information, call Prairie View A&M at 936-261-3311 or Texas Southern at 713-313-7011.

UNCF Gala to benefit Texas HBCUs

DALLAS– The North Texas area office of UNCF–the United Negro College Fund–the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, will host its 14th annual Red, Hot & Snazzy benefit gala on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas. The elegant affair will include a reception, red carpet arrivals, silent and live auctions, seated dinner, dancing and a live concert performance by popular R&B legends The Ohio Players. UNCF’s Excellence in Education award will be presented to Alliance Data for their dedication to education.

A signature DFW metroplex event, the Red, Hot & Snazzy Gala benefits UNCF’s Texas based member institutions and scholarships for low income students. Annually, UNCF supports 60,000 students at 900 U.S. colleges and universities. In addition to raising funds for scholarships, proceeds provide vital financial support for UNCF’s member colleges & universities. that will help them continue to play a critical role in our communities.

“These students are our future. We are very grateful to those who’ve invested in UNCF’s higher education mission by sponsoring our gala,” said UNCF’s Area Development Director Diane Stephenson. “Funds raised will help our colleges continue to play a critical role in our communities” she added.

Reserved tables for 10 are $2,500 and individual tickets are $200. To purchase tables, tickets or to make a donation, please contact the Dallas office of UNCF at 972-234-1007.

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Religi n

Active Faith Athletes Bring Faith and Fellowship To All-Star Weekend

HOUSTON – On Saturday, February 16, 2013, Active Faith Sports, in partnership with the Houston Rockets, brings the Faith and Family Event to Houston for All-Star Weekend. The event will be hosted by Second Baptist Church, one of Houston’s most revered megachurches, located at 19449 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77094.

The event will take place from 1-3 pm and will feature NBA players from various teams in a panel discussion about Christianity in the world of sports and how their faith has played a role in their careers. This event will also feature a concert by Christian rapper Lecrae Grammy nominated Christian rapper Lecrae, a high-flying performance by AcroDunk, an appearance by Rockets mascot Clutch and the Rockets cheerleaders, as well as lots of prize giveaways, including an autographed Jeremy Lin jersey and other autographed items. The fun-filled extravaganza is free for children of age three and under and everyone who purchases a ticket to the event will receive a voucher for a free ticket to a Houston Rockets regular season game.

In addition to the Faith and Family Event, Active Faith can be seen at various events during All-Star Weekend including the Winsor Village Celebrity Basketball Game on Thursday, February 14th and in a fashion show during their post event VIP reception. Active Faith will also be featured at the Fatherhood and Family Summit at Lakewood Church from 7pm-9pm on Friday, February 15th.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.myactivefaith.com.

Life on Life Women’s Bible Study

DALLAS – The Women’s Ministry of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship will host its Life on Life Women’s Bible Study, on Tuesday, February 12th, from 9:30am to 12:30pm. The Bible Study will be held in the Fellowship Center Gym on the campus of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.

As women, we are on a unique journey, giving of ourselves continually. While pouring out to others, take time to pour into your soul. Come and be refreshed at the Women’s Fellowship where you can: • Study to show yourself approved - (II Timothy 2:15) • Develop a daily walk with Jesus Christ • Use your God-given gifts to share the love of Jesus Christ • Participate in activities that will draw you closer to Jesus Christ • Build relationships that honor Jesus Christ Your Women’s Fellowship leaders and I are looking forward to visiting with you at one of the many exciting events of the Women’s Fellowship Ministry.

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship is located at 1808 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas, TX 75232.

For more information on this event or any other event, call 214-672-9100.

Church Profile: Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

HOUSTON- In January of 1866, seven months after slaves were freed in Texas a small group of freed slaves organized the first African-American Baptist Church in Houston.

After holding worship services at the First Baptist Church and the German Baptist Church, they began to hold services on Buffalo Bayou in a “Brush Arbor.” Later, they moved to “Baptist Hill” located at Rusk and Bagby until the present site was purchased. Services were conducted by ministers who traveled to different locations, at stated times.

In 1868, one of Antioch’s members, Rev. Jack Yates, was ordained at the first Association meeting for African-American Baptist Churches. This was the first National Baptist Convention. Rev. Jack Yates became the first pastor of Antioch.

Out of growth and necessity, Yates led the church to purchase its present site and build a brick structure. The church, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Downtown Houston located in the center of Freedman’s Town, was the center of activity for the African-American community. It was the first brick structure built and owned by AfricanAmericans in Houston.

Antioch provided the former slaves with opportunities to learn not only about God, but also provided ministries to help them develop educationally, economically and socially. The first educational opportunity for freed African-Americans began at Antioch. With the help of two missionaries, Rev. Yates began the Baptist Academy. The Baptist Academy taught fundamentals such as: reading, writing, and arithmetic,; in addition to trades, thus enabling men and women to start their own businesses.

The Baptist Academy later became Houston College. Houston College was the forerunner of Texas Southern University. Economic development and recreational activities were also encouraged and supported at Antioch. The Old Landmark Baptist Association of Texas was organized at Antioch. Under Rev. Yates’ leadership, members were encouraged and assisted in buying property, owning homes and businesses. With the vision and support of Rev. Yates and Antioch, the first African-American College in the state of Texas began (Bishop College).

The Red Brick Church was designed by African-American Richard Allen, who was also a member of the Texas Legislature. The Red Brick Church was erected in 1875 and was the first brick structure owned

by African-Americans in Houston, Texas. The second story was added in 1890. The Download a structure’s Gothic features, with pointed arch windows and doors, have been nationally acQR Reader and scan claimed. Today members still worship in the sanctuary’s original handmade pews. our code below to The Antioch of today is nestled between giant skyscrapers, surrounded by steel and concrete. Under the leadership of Pastor O. B. Winkley, Jr., he continues to serve the needs visit our website! her people and her community, proudly proclaiming the message: Jesus Saves!

The Celebration of 147 Years of History Additionally, over the Feb. 23-24 weekend, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, will celebrate its 147 years of History as a religious, educational and cultural institution. Pastor O. B. Winkley, Jr., and the congregation invite the public to the two-day event featuring the church’s youth in a instrumental musical recital at 3 p.m., on Saturday, February 23rd and guest minister, Rev. Jerry Wade, Sr. of Houston’s Providence Missionary Baptist Church, to deliver a message and musical praises beginning at 10:15 a.m., on Sunday, February 24th.

For more information, contact the church at (713) 652-0738 or visit www.antiochdowntown.org.

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Educati n/Y uth Quality Education main focus at Monthly Networking Luncheon By: Rebecca S. Jones African-American News&Issues

HOUSTON- Oprah Winfrey once declared that, “Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.” This thought was one of the central messages that Houston Independent School District Dr. Terry B. Grier alluded to as he spoke at the Acres Homes Chamber for Business and Economic Development. The Acres Home Business Networking Luncheon was held on Thursday, February 7th.

Chairman of the AHCBED, Roy Douglas Malonson began the event by calling upon Rev. Charles Ingram,

President of the Acres Home Civic Club to deliver a word of prayer and supplication. After which, Malonson engaged the crowd as he conducted a raffle drawing.

The event proved to be an informative function whereas Dr. Grier was the featured Speaker. While addressing the group of more than 50 community members, civic leaders and educators Dr. Grier discussed several topics including an update on the 2012 Bond program. The Bond program will benefit the HISD with emphasis on a new state of the art facility for Booker T. Washington High School, renovation and revamping of Kashmere and Barbara Jordan High Schools.

Dr. Grier revealed the importance of involving parents into his or her

child’s education. “If you can’t read, you can’t succeed in America”, he stated. Therefore, he has devoted himself and the staff that accompanies him to the mission of, ensuring that every child within HISD will be equipped with the necessary skills to read and read well by the first grade.

Dr. Grier also talked about his commitment to lowering HISD’s dropout rate, which has decreased from 22.7 percent in 2007 to 11 percent in 2012. He also addressed the teacher turn over rate within HISD which is relatively 20 percent lower than other school districts nationwide.

Additionally he informed of how measures taken by the district has proven to benefit students of the Black community. In HISD, the number of African-Americans taking

the SAT has increased five-fold.

Likewise, has the amount of scholarships awarded to African-Americans increased from $52 million to $180 million. Though the statistics reflect details significant to the AfricanAmerican community; Dr. Grier indicated that, “We’re committed to all children but we need your help.”

His dedication and ongoing efforts to make sure each classroom has great teachers was met with an approval from those in attendance.

He also said, although he is pleased with the direction HISD is headed, he wants the district to become great all over. “We’re not where we need to be, but we’re on the right track, “said Dr. Grier. Following his remarks Dr. Grier answered a variety of questions ranging from: the completion

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of the new campus for Booker T. Washington High School, teachers and administrators addressing disciplinarian problems and indecent conduct of educators with students.

Additionally, Mr. Roy Douglas Malonson who sponsored the event said it’s important that Dr. Grier speak at events like this one in our community. “Our kids need a quality education, “said Malonson. “They need the support from the community and their families.”

The Acres Home Business Networking Luncheon is held the first Thursday in each month and features community leaders and business owners as guest speakers.

For more information or to register for the March Business Networking Luncheon, call (713) 692-7161.

Houston Area Students onstage in Amazing Grace HOUSTON – Eleven students of Main Street Theater’s Education Department explore the very real issues of discrimination and perseverance in the play Amazing Grace by Shay Youngblood, adapted from the book by Mary Hoffman. The Play is about Grace is a little girl who loves acting out stories, those told and read to her by her grandmother as well as ones she reads on her own. In her imagination, she becomes the characters: Anansi the Spider, Joan of Arc, Mowgli, Hiawatha.

But Grace is told by two of her classmates that she can’t be Peter Pan in the school play—because she is a girl and because she is Black. Will the limits of the real world forbid Grace from being something she wants to be?

The cast is comprised of 11 Houston-area students ages 8-14 and includes Teresa Blanco, Canaan Bracey, Layla Crear, Sadie Dill, Bridget Kennedy, Emma Kim, Kayleigh Latimer, Jade Rea, Aris Smith, Ian Van Loon, and Kameron Walker.

There are 3 public performances: Friday and Saturday, February 15 and 16, at 7:30pm, and Sunday, February 17 at 3:30pm. Performances are at Main Street Theater – Chelsea Market, located at 4617 Montrose Blvd. For tickets, call 713-524-6706 or log on to mainstreettheater.com. All tickets are $5.00.

Main Street Theater’s education programs offer a wide (l-r) Ma (Teresa Blanco) and Grace (Layla Crear) range of classes for students of all skill levels, including Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Walker individual audition coaching sessions, movement and dance classes, filmmaking classes, high school workshops, and a Summer Performing Arts Camp. The Rehearsal and Performance system includes classes for students at two levels: those who are ready to audition for plays for the public and those who want to hone their skills by producing a play in a “lab” context for family and friends. Classes range from $175 - $500; camps range from $50 - $530. For more information or to register for classes and camps, please call 713-524-9196 x 104 or 103 or log on to mainstreettheater.com

We keep Houston working. enroll today at hccs.edu

The reasons people choose HCC are as diverse as the Houstonians we serve. And no institution does more to get students where they’re going faster than HCC. We keep Houston working with affordable tuition, innovative courses, and convenient locations.

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Texas • February 11-17, 2013